Game apparatus for teaching the use of the multiplication table



Feb. 12, 1952 J. E. 1. GORDON GAME APPARATUS FOR TEACHING THE USE OF THEMULTIPLI CATION TABLE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 11, 1949 [m A L. U W

207 FIEF:

A-r ran/v5 Y Feb. 12, 1952 J. E. l, GORDON 2,585,458

GAME APPARATUS FOR TEACHING THE USE OF THE MULTIPLICATION TABLE F 'iledOct. 11, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIB-5 FIE/ r Z11 PIE. E

INVENTOR. fl AM 6020001 Patented Feb. 12, 1952 GAME APPARATUS FORTEACHING THE USE OF THE MULTIPLICATION TABLE Julia '12. I. Gordan,Bricks, N. 0.

Application October 11, 1949, Serial No. 120,770

2 Claims.

This invention relates to educational games, and more particularly togame devices for teach* ing arithmetic.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved gameapparatus involving elements of skill and chance, but stimulating theplayers to learn the process of multiplication by requiring them tounderstand products and factors in order to score.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved gameapparatus embodying the use of the multiplication table as a scoringfield, and of scoring pieces which are associated with the numerals ofthe multiplication table in such a manner as to acquaint the playerswith the arithmetical relationships of the various factor numerals ofthe multiplication table to the product numerals thereof, whereby eachplayer rapidly becomes familiar with the multiplication table and withthe factorial relationships be- P tween the various factor numerals andthe product numerals thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvededucational game apparatus which may be embodied either in a table game,

a floor game, or in an outdoor field game, and which may be played bytwo or more players, the apparatus being adapted to rapidly acquaint theplayers with the use of the multiplication table and with the process ofmultiplication, whereby the arithmetical proficiency of the players isgreatly increased and whereby the interest of the players inmultiplication, and in arithmetic generally, is greatly stimulated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvededucational game which aids in developing the muscularcoordination andcontrol of the players, provides entertainment, and which is arranged sothat each player has substantially an equal opportunity to score.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a playing board forming part of a gameapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a set of playing pieces employed with thegame board of Figure 1 according to one form of the invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in cross-section, ofone of the playing pieces shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a set of playing pieces employed with thegame board of Figure 1 according to another form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a set of playing pieces employed with thegame board of Figure 1 according to still another form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken through amodified form of playing piece which may be employed with the game boardof Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an elevational view of a mallet which may be employed as adriving means. for playing pieces when the apparatus is employed as afloor game or as an outdoor field game.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figurel, 2E1!designates a board which may be of any suitable shape, and isillustrated merely by way of example as being square. The board 295 ismarked adjacent its margins with lines shown at 262 and 203, either thelines 202 or the lines 223 being employed as starting lines for theplaying pieces, as will be subsequently described.- Marked centrally onthe board 21]! is a conventional multiplication table, designatedgenerally at 2M. As shown in Figure 1, the multiplication table 2% has atop row comprising the factor numerals l to 12 and also its left siderow comprising said factor numerals. Aligned with the factor numerals inthe well known manner are the various product numerals of themultiplication table.

Referring now to Figure 2, a set of playing pieces 2435 is illustrated,said playing pieces comprising twelve annular rings of any suitablematerial, such as plastic or the like, said rings being inscribed withthe respective factor numerals 1 to 12 of the multiplication table. Inthe arrangement of Figure 2, the rings 205 are'all of the same size. Therings carry their numerical markings on their top surfaces as wellason'their side surfaces.

In playing a game, each player is given an equal number of playingpieces 265. The game may'therefor'e be played by as many as twelveplayers. Assuming, for example, that there are six players, each playeris given two playing pieces. The first player places one of his. playingpieces on the marginal portion of the playing board' just outside a linechosen as the starting line, for example, the starting line 202. Theplayer then snaps the playing piece from its starting position onto themultiplication table 285 and attempts to encircle a numeral of the tableof which the numeral carried by the playing piece is a factor. When thisis done, the player scores a number of points equal to the numberencircled. For example, assume that the player has the playing piecemarked '7. On the first try, .the

playing piece encirclesthe number 353' Since 7 is a factor of 35, theplayer receives a score of 35 points. If the playing piece fails toencircle any number or encircles a number in which 7 is not a factor,then the player receives no score. The first player then repeats theattempt using the other playing piece. Since the other playing piececarries a different factor numeral, for example, the numeral 9, theplayer seeks to ring a number on the multiplication table 204 in whichthis latter factor numeral is a factor. Upon so doing, the playerreceives an additional score equal to the number successfully encircled.Thus, assume that the player rings the number 72 with the ring marked 9.The player then receives a score of 72 points in addition to the points,if any, scored in the first try.

The next player then proceeds, repeating the above process but using theplaying rings allotted to him. The third player thereafter proceeds inthe same manner, and so on. The game continues until one of the playershas scored a predetermined total of points, for example, a total of 500points. This player is then declared the winner of the game.

Each player has an equal number of playing pieces 205. Since it isdesirable for all the playing pieces to be used in the game, so that allthe factor numerals 1 to 12 of the multiplication table will be used bythe players, the game may be played by two, three, four, six or twelveplayers.

Numerous variations in the rules of the game are possible. In a typicalvariation, each player is allowed to select two of the playing pieces.He may play either ring twice or may play both rings once. Each playeris allowed two trials on each round. As above described, the playerpushes or snaps the ring from the starting line with one or two fingersand aims at a multiple of the number carried by the ring used. If thering slides over the board and stops in a position encircling a numberwhich is a multiple of the number on the ring, the player writes thenumber encircled on a score pad. For example, assume that player A hasthe rings numbered 12 and 1. Player A first used his ring numbered 12.The rin slides over the board and stops, encircling the number 66. Hewrites 60 under A on the score pad. Next he uses the ring numbered 1 andscores 7. He then writes 7 under the 60 and his turn is completed.Assume player B uses the rings numbered 2 and 11. Player B uses the ringmarked 2 and it stops, encircling the number 49. He cannot score, since49 is not a multiple of 2. Player B then uses the ring marked 11, whichstops in a position encircling the number 72. Again the player B cannotscore, because 72 is not a multiple of 11. Player B has thus completedhis turn without scoring. The

next player then uses his rings, and so forth. At

the completion of one round, the players g0 through a second round,repeating the above procedure. The first player whose score adds up to500, or some other designated total previously agreed upon, wins thegame.

Players may exchange their positions but must play the rings originallyallotted to them.

The playing board may be imprinted on a table cloth, such as a plastictable cloth, whereby the game may be played on a suitable table, such asa dining table, around which the players are seated.

Alternatively, enlarged markings such as shown on the board of Figure 1may be provided on a floor, the playing rings being proportionatelyenlarged, and mallets, such as shown at 206 in Figare 7, may be employedto propel the playing rings. Similarly, the enlarged board markings maybe inscribed on an outdoor playing field and the game may be played withenlarged playing rings, employing mallets such as illustrated in Figure7.

As shown in Figure 3, the lower peripheral edges of the playing ringsmay be bevelled, as shown at 201, to facilitate the sliding of the ringsover the playing surface.

The playing board may be inscribed on a floor covering such as alinoleum rug, the markings being suitably enlarged, and the playingrings being proportionately enlarged, as described above. In playing thegame, mallets such as shown in Figure 7 may be employed to propel therings or the rings may be shoved or pushed with the toe of the playersshoe.

Figure 6 illustrates an alternate form of playing piece, shown generallyat 208. Said playing piece comprises a transparent central portion 209and an opaque outer ring portion 210. The opaque outer ring portion ispreferably bevelled at its lower peripheral edge, as shown at 21 I.

It will be apparent fro man inspection of the multiplication table thatthe different playing pieces will have different scoring possibilities,since, in general, the lower numbered playing pieces will find moremultiples on the multiplication table than the higher numbered playingpieces. The following table shows the number of scoring positions forthe respective playing pieces:

Scoring To equalize the scoring possibilities of the various playingrings, the rings may be made of gradually increasing size, as shown inFigure 4, the ring numbered 1 being smallest and the ring numbered 12being largest. The inside diameter of the smallest ring, indicated at2l2, may be such that the ring 2 [2 may just barely encircle the largestnumber on the multiplication table, whereas, the largest ring, shown at213, may have an inside diameter almost twice that of the ring 212.

An alternative arrangement for equalizing the scoring possibilities ofthe different rings is shown in Figure 5. From the table given above, itwill be seen that the first four rings have a relatively large number(from 144 to 72) of scoring possibilities. In Figure 5, these rings,shown at 214, are made relatively small in size. The next two rings,numbered 5 and 6, have an intermediate number of scoring positions,namely, 44. These rings, shown at H5 in Figure 5, are of substantiallyincreased size as compared with the rings 2 M. The last six rings,numbered from 7 to 12, have the lowest number of scoring posie tions,namely, 23. These last six rings, shown at 2 [6 in Figure 5, aretherefore made of maximum size, and may have inside diameters almosttwice as large as those of the rings M4. The inside diameters of theintermediate rings 2l5 are approximately one and one half times as greatas those of the rings 2M.

By employing the arrangement of either Figure 4 or Figure 5, the scoringchances of the respective players are substantially equalized and theability of a player to obtain a winning score will depend mainly on theplayers dexterity and skill.

The general result of the game is to give each player an intimatefamiliarity with the multiplication table and to greatly increase theability of each player to make mental multiplications and divisions.

While certain specific embodiments of an educational game apparatus havebeen disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of aplane playing surface inscribed with a substantially squaremultiplication table, the digits of all the numerals on said table beingsubstantially equal in physical size, and a set of playing piecesslidable on said playing surface, the playing pieces being equal inquantity to the quantity of factor numerals in a marginal row of saidmultiplication table which begins with the numeral 1, and the playingpieces being consecutively inscribed with said factor numerals of themultiplication table, said playing pieces having opaque margins arrangedto at times completely surround the numerals on the multiplication tableand defining openings to allow the numerals to be viewed from abovethrough the playing pieces, the playing pieces varying in physical sizein acccordance with the magnitude of the factor numeral inscribedthereon, and the size of said openings likewise varying in the samemanner, allowing numerals of large physical size on the playing surfaceto be encircled by the large playing pieces with substantially the sameorder of facility as that with which the numerals of small physical sizeon said surface can be encircled by the small playing pieces.

2. In a game apparatus of the character described, the combination of aplane playing surface inscribed with a substantially squaremultiplication table, the digits of all the numerals on said table beingsubstantially equal in physical size, and a set of playing piecesslidable on said playing surface, the playing pieces being equal inquantity to the quantity of factor numerals in a marginal row of saidmultiplication table which begins with the numeral 1, and the playingpieces being consecutively inscribed with said factor numerals of themultiplication table, said playing pieces having opaque margins arrangedto at times completely surround the numerals on the multiplication tableand defining openings to allow the numerals to be viewed from abovethrough the playing pieces, the playing pieces bearing small factornumerals being relatively small in physical size and the playing piecesbearing large factor numerals being relatively large in physical size,the sizes of the openings in the respective playing pieces likewisebeing relatively small for the playing pieces bearing small numerals andbeing relatively large for the playing pieces bearing large numerals,allowing numerals of large physical size on the playing surface to beencircled by the large playing pieces with substantially the same orderof facility as that with which the numerals of small physical size onsaid surface can be encircled by the small playing pieces.

JULIA E. I. GORDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 445,016 Greene Jan. 20, 1891491,293 Monks Feb. 7, 1893 535,535 Gardner Mar. '12, 1895 846,110 JurickMar. 5, 1907 1,217,908 Brewer Mar. 6, 1917 1,470,872 Ovenshire Oct. 16,1923 1,719,108 Fennell July 2, 1929 1,935,308 Baltzley Nov. 14, 19332,073,551 Crasnoff Mar. 9, 1937 2,410,845 Snell Nov. 12, 1946 2,472,439Rogers June 7, 1949

